The prices of major food grains in Ghana have remained largely stable since the beginning of the year, according to the February 2026 AGRA Food Security Monitor.
The report says maize price movements in USD across selected West African markets between January and February showed a generally mixed pattern, with mild softening or stability in most markets and Nigeria recording the steepest month-on-month decline.
The report says “Ghana’s maize prices remained broadly stable, easing marginally from USD 325/MT to USD 324/MT (−0.3%), reflecting balanced market conditions supported by steady domestic availability and slight currency appreciation.“
Togo (Centrale) registered a more pronounced adjustment, with prices falling from USD 330/MT to USD 295/MT (−11%), driven by improved post-harvest supply.
Nigeria experienced an equally sharp decline, with prices dropping from USD 245/MT to USD 219/MT (−11%), consistent with easing market tightness and better seasonal availability.
Overall, the data reflect continued softening in West African maize markets amid improved seasonal availability and moderated demand pressures.
In markets across Ghana, the national average maize price fell by 2.82% month-on-month, with deeper declines over the last three months (−18.43%) and six months (−30.12%).
Year-on-year, prices remain significantly lower (−47.46%), signalling a substantial improvement in supply conditions relative to last year’s elevated levels.
Nigeria also recorded a notable month-on-month decline of 9.58%, with prices down sharply over three months (−20.97%) and six months (−25.29%).
Year-on-year figures (−47.04%) confirm a major normalisation from last year’s high-cost environment, driven by improved maize harvests and easing market pressures.
Togo exhibited mixed sub-national dynamics. The Centrale region posted a sharp month-on-month decline (−9.89%), with modest short-term softness over three months (−4.65%) and marginal six-month easing (−1.80%).
The price of rice in Ghana also remained broadly stable, inching up slightly by 1% to USD 1,160/MT, reflecting steady domestic availability and limited new cost pressures in the short term.
Togo (Centrale) registered a notable decline, with prices falling from USD 820/MT to USD 738/MT (−10%), suggesting improved local supply conditions.
Meanwhile, Nigeria recorded one of the largest month-on-month increases in rice prices, rising from USD 462/MT to USD 557/MT (+21%), reflecting the high processing and transport costs experienced in the country.
The average price of sorghum in Ghana also remained stable at USD 610/MT, down from USD 611/MT in January and February.
Nigeria registered the sharpest increase, rising +21% month-on-month, while Burkina Faso posted the largest decline, with prices in Ouagadougou falling −9%. Niger (−7%) and Mali (−4%) also recorded notable decreases.
The report says that in West Africa, harvesting of both main- and second-season cereals largely concluded in January 2026 under favourable conditions, except in conflict-affected areas, and that land preparation is now underway for the 2026 main-season planting, beginning in March.
This year, the rainy season is expected to start on schedule in West Africa, following the normal northward movement of the rainbelt along the intertropical front.
The report, however, observes that global fertiliser prices continued to rise in February 2026, with all major nutrient types showing moderate monthly increases.
Urea recorded the sharpest year-on-year increase at 5.9%, followed by notable gains in diammonium phosphate (DAP) (+11.8%) and urea (+12%).
Prices of monoammonium phosphate (MOP) and potash also strengthened, rising 8.8% and 9.7%, respectively, compared with the same period last year.
These broad-based fertiliser price increases reflect tightening global supply and mounting cost pressures, driven by a combination of surging natural gas prices, new European Union carbon border regulations, and geopolitical disruptions affecting major exporters, including Belarus, Russia, China, and Iran. Together, these factors continue to elevate production and trade costs.
The monthly Food Security Monitor tracks food security across 17 countries in Eastern, Southern, and Western Africa.
AGRA says the report is a critical tool which equips policymakers, practitioners, and the wider food systems community with vital insights to navigate challenges, prioritise interventions, and ultimately build a more food-secure future for all.
The report is produced with support from the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through the Africa Food Trade & Resilience Programme.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com